Six unusual monuments in St. Petersburg

1. Monument to the lamplighter

In 1873, electric lanterns lit up for the first time in St. Petersburg on Odessa Street, where this monument is installed. Incandescent lamps were inserted into them, which were invented by Alexander Lodygin. After that, the lamplighter's profession ceased to be in demand.

2. Konka Monument

At the beginning of the 20th century, before widespread electrification, horse—drawn tram cars were widespread in St. Petersburg. The monument on Sredny Avenue of Vasilyevsky Island is an exact life—size model of the St. Petersburg horsecar of the 1870s. The first line of the horse-drawn railway passed through this place.

3. Major Kovalev's nose 

This monument refers to Nikolai Gogol's novella "The Nose". In the work, Major Kovalev's nose leaves its owner from time to time and strolls around the city. It is symbolic that the monument had a similar fate: it disappeared several times from its place on Voznesensky Prospekt, and had to be restored.

4. Monument to the water carrier 

This monument is located near the museum "The World of Water of St. Petersburg" on Shpalernaya Street. It was created in 2003 in memory of the St. Petersburg water carriers of the late 19th century. Before the introduction of centralized water supply to the city, they took water from rivers and transported it around the city in wooden barrels.

5. Monument to Ostap Bender

A monument to the legendary character of the works of Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov was erected on Italyanskaya Street in 2000. Petersburgers believe that Bender is able to grant wishes, if you ask for it correctly. 

6. Monument to the photographer

The prototype for this monument on Malaya Sadovaya was the famous St. Petersburg photographer Karl Bulla. The monument depicts a photographer with a camera and an open umbrella, who is preparing to shoot. An English bulldog stands at his feet. According to urban legends, this monument also brings good luck.